WHO will be the leading first season sire of 2015?

As the 2015 turf flat season gets underway this weekend, breeders and bloodstock agents will be watching the two-year-old races closely to see which stallions are getting off to a flier and which ones are struggling to sire a winner.

Online betting company RaceBets has formed a market on the first-season championship and the firm makes Canford Cliffs the favourite. According to RaceBets spokesman Joseph Burke: “It’s always difficult to know what to expect from first season stallions but it’s reasonable to assume they might throw horses similar in type to themselves and it is for that reason that Canford Cliffs heads the betting.

“The five-time Group 1 winner was the highest rated of the 2012 intake and his offspring (117 foals) are well distributed amongst a wide variety of trainers so he has everything going for him.

“Dream Ahead (97 foals) was the second highest rated, courtesy of Group 1 wins at two and three, and he is next in at 5/2. Keeneland Phoenix Stakes winner Zoffany (102 foals), who also chased home Frankel in the St. James’s Palace Stakes at three, is the joint-third favourite at 7/2.

“Sharing that position is Poet’s Voice (89 foals) and it’s quite obvious the judges have high expectations for the son of Dubawi given his yearling averages and medians surpassed any of his opposition here. Lilbourne Lad (90 foals) was the most precocious of this group, having broken his maiden as early as April 16th, so it’s odds-on his stock will be out of the traps early and he could be value at 7/1.

“Showcasing made a super start last year, having been largely unconsidered at this stage of the season, and his sire Oasis Dream is represented by Frozen Power (103 foals) this time around. Frozen Power boasts arguably the best pedigree of all of these and is well represented numerically so it would be no surprise to see him have a good year.

“All said, while there are less individual stallions competing for the title of leading first season sire this year, it is nevertheless extremely competitive and whets the appetite for the forthcoming flat season.”